Is A Gastric Band A Cheat?
Am I cheating if I opt for a Gastric band? I can understand why you might feel like this. It’s about willpower and failure. The short answer is no. You are not cheating if you choose a gastric band or other Bariatric Surgery. Here is why a gastric band is not a cheat.
It is probably true that most of us that struggle with our weight or any other part of our physicality that we do not like, wake up thinking today is the day I will sort this out. And do we? No, life seems to get in the way.
Willpower and Failure if I Choose a Gastric Band
So back to willpower and failure. For some reason, we think that to reduce our weight; we must put considerable effort into exercise, diets, healthy eating, and ‘cooking from scratch’—all things that take effort, time and willpower. If we fail to do these things, we feel like a failure.
We can feel like this over long periods, months, or even years can go by, and still, we wake up thinking, today is the day. Critical events can often trigger these times.
Is Looking After Your Health a Cheat?
The most important one would be a health scare or a problem with surgery due to your weight. A gastric band would not feel like a cheat if your weight impacts your health and, subsequently, your life was at serious risk because, In those circumstances, Bariatric Surgery would be your go-to option. Although we advocate that for many, Bariatric Surgery is the final option, where your health is concerned, all options are essential.
Cheating Your Emotional Health?
Emotional triggers are also prevalent; an overheard hurtful comment, being left out of activities – peers think you can not do, and judgement when dating or meeting new people can negatively impact your emotional well-being. It is times like these when we are often open to trying anything to help us lose weight. A gastric band is not a cheat; the emotional journey you will embark on through your surgery can also be challenging, and our support can guide you through these feelings and emotions.
Do you cheat your Agility?
There is the chair situation event: having to ask for the seatbelt extender on a flight, not fitting onto a fairground ride, or requiring an oversized chair at the restaurant. But also the worry about you. Then there is your agility and your ability to ‘fit’ into a world built of sizes. Agility to get yourself out of the bath or up from the floor. Again no Gastric Band cheat here. Your ability and agility link to your health. The embarrassment of the chair situation can be very stressful. Stress can further impact your emotional well-being, all of which can add to the weight you are trying to lose. There are evident connections between stress and weight gain. Read more about that here.
Gastric Bands are NOT a Cheat
For all the reasons we have already talked about, it is clear that the option to have Bariatric Surgery is not cheating, and if ever you think that you might be, remember this: the only cheat, in our opinion, means that you care about your: Commitment, Health, Emotions, Agility, Time.
